The Zorua Costume
by Sinank
Summary: Dave's in love with his childhood friend Marie. During the yearly Pokemon festival of their city, both of them go dressed there as Zoruas. Dave wants to use the chance to confess his feelings to her. But why won't she talk and only giggles through the entire festival?


"Can you believe, it's that time of the year again?" Marie asked Dave excitedly, as they walked next to each other through the currently busy streets of their hometown, having just left school. Everywhere, people began to do the last preparations, preparing their stalls and what they sell, putting the decorations up, things like that. Their Pokemon either helping them or just watching with smiles on their faces. The entire atmosphere was already pretty cheerful.

"You are right. It's pretty hard to believe..." Dave said to her, nodding with his head and walking past a group of three Pichus playing and fooling around, smiling as he saw that.

"No matter how often I've seen it, it's always amazing and so beautiful to see..." The girl said with a voice and smile, like something very enchanting is happening around her right now, as she kept on looking around.

He nodded again, but slower this time. "Yeah...you are right..." He said, but this time his voice sounded like he didn't fully listen to what she said and he looked like his mind was somewhere completely else.

Marie noticed that and began to hold his shoulder, looking at him with a weaker smile. "Is...is everything alright?" She could always tell, when he was thinking intensely about something or when his mind and his thoughts would wander off somewhere else. This already happened since they were children and she quickly learned to get used to it. But this time it felt very different. Like he was really worried and a bit scared about something.

But Dave just shook his head and he began, to smile a little more at her. "Yeah, everything's alright...I was just thinking about our costumes for this year..." He said reassuringly, not wanting to worry her. As he did that it seems the Pichus played tag, running right past them. And mentioning the costumes seemed to do the trick, as her usual smile and cheerful self returned almost immediately.

"Yeah, you are right. I'm so happy how they turned out this year...and the Pokemon we picked for this year is just so cute..." She said the last part a bit louder, gaining the attention of a few people and their own Pokemon. The Pokemon they picked for their costume this year was Zorua. "They are shy like you, but also really fun-loving like me..." This was her reasoning, with which she won Dave immediately over. Also, he remembered last year, when they were going as Scraftys. Wearing pants that are way too big for you and constantly holding them up isn't that fun to do during a festival.

Dave let out a small chuckle and nodded. "Yeah. The people are definitely going to love this. They always do, when they see us..." Both of them liked dressing up more or less as Pokemon during the festival. "It's a festival that celebrates our friendship to our Pokemon. What better way, than to do it by dressing up as both?" is always Maries reasoning, when someone asked her back then. And nowadays, the people always anticipate the two of them to wear a new costume and to wear it together. It has become like a small, yearly tradition for the festival. Some of them even started doing it themselves. And as he walked, he noticed, that there was one more Pichu. He probably didn't see it.

Soon, they reached the point, where the street they walked on stopped and splits into two, one to the left and one to the right. Marie giggled, as she turned right to head back home. "I'll meet you later here. I'm so excited for the festival! And don't forget to wear your costume..." She called after Dave, before running back home. Dave chuckled...and then when she was out of his sight, he sighed, before turning left.

Unknown to the two of them, that one new Pichu has been watching both of them for a while now. And it begins to giggle, as its eyes suddenly turned blue for a second.

After an hour staying at home, Dave began putting the costume on, that Marie sended to him a few days ago. And just like he knew it would, it fitted him perfectly. She always knew his size, even if it changed just slightly. After he was done putting most of it on, he walked closer to the mirror, that was standing in his room to examine himself and the costume. And what he saw really impressed him and he began to nod. Marie was always pretty talented when it came to sewing and making these costumes for both of them to wear. But this might even be her best piece yet.

Despite it really just being a gray sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts, it looked and felt almost like actual fur. Same with the black and very comfortable scarf, he was now wearing around his neck and the tail he put around his waist. And he wasn't feeling hot or uncomfortable or anything similar to that. He looked at the red shoes and gloves, deciding to put them on for last.

He walked closer to the mirror, wanting to apply the contact lenses and the make-up next. He took the lenses, and carefully started putting them on. It's funny, with a smile he remembered the first time he did something like that and how he was so nervous and scared, his hands wouldn't stop shaking at all and Marie had to calm him down. Now though? Now, a pair of blue eyes looked right back into his own, both having a happy and satisfied smile on their face.

"Perfect..." He said, as he now began to carefully draw two red dots on his forehead, while he was still remembering. About how at first he was hesitant, but always curious to try one of Maries costumes out for himself. And how he would always imagine himself wearing one. And then one day, he just tried it, just once for fun and to get Marie to stop asking him constantly. And then he realised, just how much he loved it. He probably loves it even more, than Marie does. And before he knew it, his mind began to wander towards his childhood friend.

Marie has, for as long as Dave knew her, been a wonderful and kind person. Since they were children, she would always smile, always tell jokes and laugh about them herself and always brighten up everyone's day. The only time Dave recalled her being sad, when her Pikachu suddenly and without warning feel very, very ill. The family rushed it into the Pokemon Center, all scared for the little thing. He'll never forget her sad and scared voice, as she told him that and her look, when he arrived in the waiting room. They waited for two hours, before the nurse finally came out and told them, that Pikachu was feeling better now. He remembers, how her smile quickly returned to her face. There was still a little worry, but all the fear and sadness completely disappeared.

This was the moment, where he realised, he was lost in his thoughts again and that he was done drawing the dots. He began to sigh again, this time he'll finally do it. It was the prefect day and occasion for it.

He quickly looked at his hair. Natural black with a red tip that he dyed into it a couple of days ago, to make sure that his costume looked perfect. He nodded, and put on the red gloves and boots, before leaving the house to meet up with her. Today was going to be a very special day, he just knew it.

Dave was standing around, waiting for Marie to arrive, taking deep breaths and calming himself down while doing so. Though it's a bit strange, usually she would be the one already waiting for him. Even if he's half an hour early, she would already be standing there, like she was waiting all this time after they went home. So, where could she be?

Suddenly, he felt how behind him two hands wrapped around his head, closing his eyes. And he could also feel, how they wore gloves. "What?" He asked completely confused and a bit scared, until he heard something...

"Hehehe..." It was giggling, like the one from a very mischievous child, that just played a lighthearted prank on one of their friends without any bad or harmful intentions towards them at all. And hearing this calmed Dave down, as he now understood, what was going on and who was giggling there...

"Marie?" He asked and the hands let go of his face, before his childhood friend ran in front of him, a smirk on her face, as she giggled again. And he was surprised, by what he saw, as he examined Marie from head to toe.

His childhood friend was wearing a costume that was very similar to his own, down to even the smallest details. But her costume looked...different, it looked...better. The fur on her clothes and around her neck looked more like actual fur. Same also goes for the tail, the make-up on her face and contact lenses that she wore. It looked all so much more...real, than his own.

She giggled at his amazed look and spun around, before stopping and doing a little pose for him, enjoying every second that he examined her and was speechless.

"I...you look...really amazing!" He finally brought that out, blushing a small bit at that. To hide this, he looked away and took a deep breath, calming himself down again. "So...are you ready for the festival? The others are probably..." But before he could even finish his sentence, Marie took his hand with a smile and began to drag him behind her down the street towards said festival. She didn't saw his deep red blush, while he didn't saw how her tail began to wag happily around.

As they both walked through the street, Dave noticed, that everybody at the festival had a good and fun time. People and Pokemon alike were standing at stalls, playing games and eating sweet festival food, somewhere down the street a band was playing a song and people and Pokemon alike were dancing to it and between everybody Pokemon were running, playing and fooling around. This seemed to be an even bigger festival than usual.

But before he could take in more of this always amazing sight, Marie began to drag him towards a stall, where they sold Pokemon shaped ice cream. She looked at him with a wanting smile and he was a little confused at first. Why wouldn't she say, what she wants? Then it hit him...it's because of her costume. Zoruas can't really talk and only giggle, when they disguise themselves as humans, so that must be, what's going on with her right now.

So he smiled at her and nodded. "I understand..." and bought two ice creams in the shapes of Magikarps for him and her. She smiled very happily, as she took the ice cream and then began to eat it. But before they could do anything more, a group of their classmates started surrounding them excitedly.

"So those are your new costumes?"

"You two look so amazing!"

"I love how you two look! It fits so well..."

Dave blushed a little at receiving all these different compliments and didn't really know, how to respond to all of them. Marie, to his surprise, on the other hand began striking different poses, showing her costume from each side and angle, clearly enjoying all the attention that she got. Usually, she would be less...showy to others about it. In that regard, she's actually kinda like Dave, blushing a bit and thanking everybody for their nice words. Where did just all that new confidence come from? But then the weirdest thing happened.

"It looks so realis...huh?" As someone tried to touch and feel her tail, Marie immediately jumped back and hid behind Dave, glaring very angrily at that person, who just stared confused at the two of them. Dave also didn't know, what was going on, so he just shrugged his shoulders. The classmates didn't know what to do, so they went on their way.

"What was that?" Dave asked Marie confused and a bit serious, turning towards her. Hoping she would now break character and talk to him.

Marie didn't answer and just avoided looking directly at him. He could see the guilt and embarrassment in her eyes and he sighed, feeling like he sounded too harsh to her.

"Whatever that was...please don't do that again. Ok?" Marie looked at him and quickly nodded, before suddenly jumping up and taking his hand again. That was the moment when he remembered his plan, to wait for the perfect moment to finally tell her.

"I...I'm exhausted..." Dave said taking deep breaths, before sitting down on a bench, that was standing on one of the more quieter streets. The evening sun began to shine, but the festival was just soon reaching its end. Marie was dragging him by his hand through the street from stall to stall, playing the games and eating much of the food, before finally pulling him to where the band was playing and dancing with him. How can she even manage to do all of that without getting the least bit tired and exhausted?

"Hihihi..." Her giggling pulled him out of his thoughts, as she ran and jumped around like a little kid, who just spend an entire day at the carnival. All while smiling like she was the happiest person in this entire town. He didn't thought that she would be happy to go to the festival again. Sure, she always loved it and was always happy and cheerful...but right now, this was a bit more than usual. Almost like a child.

"Going to the festival this year meant this much to you, huh?" He asked and stood up from the bench, hoping she would finally talk to him again. But this wasn't the case at all.

Instead she looked at him and nodded with another very happy smile...before she suddenly jumping forward, pulling him into a close and tight hug.

"What?" He asked confused, not knowing what he did that she did this so suddenly. Without realising it, Dave began to blush much deeper than before and his heart started to race, like it tried to jump out of his chest as hard as it possibly could. His mind became a complete and jumbled mess. To feel his friend, whom he liked for such a long time so close to him was just a great feeling. He didn't want this moment to end at all, he was enjoying it so very much.

But then he realised something important. This could be it...the perfect moment, that he was waiting for this entire time. This could be really it and before he knew it, he broke up the hug and looked into Maries eyes.

"Actually...there is something...that I want to tell you..." He swallowed a bit, her confused look not making this any better or easier for him. "I...I like...yo..." But before he could say anything, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

"There you are!" Directly behind him stood Marie, wearing her costume...and she looked angry directly at him. "I couldn't find my tail, because someone hid it. After I found it, you weren't at our usual spot, so I was looking for you everywhere and I got really worried! Where were you?" She asked, coming closer to the very confused and speechless Dave, and stopping, as she saw the other Marie.

She on the other hand just giggled, before suddenly and quickly kissing Dave on his cheek. She ran away, shining purple as she jumped in the air, before a Zorua landed in her place. It turned towards the two and giggled at them again, before disappearing into the evening.

Dave shook his head at that. Maybe he should try confessing next year...


End file.
